NHL Free Agency: Day One Live Blog

We’ll be updating this throughout the day as players sign, and linking to any longer work that we do here as well.

1:00 PM: That’s it for the live blog, thanks to everyone who read today. Naturally, we’ll continue to provide updates throughout the day, and move more towards articles breaking down individual moves.

12:45 PM: Wow. Filip Kuba signs in Florida for two years, $8.0 million. He will undoubtedly be replacing Jason Garrison on the Florida blue line. It’s the sort of contract that shows what defenseman are getting paid on the free agent market. He’s a useful NHL defender, but he’s also 36 years old and in the twilight of his career.

12:38 PM: Bob McKenzie reports that Tanner Glass has signed in Pittsburgh for two years at $1.1 million per season. Glass is a big, tough depth player who can handle a regular shift but doesn’t bring a ton to the table; this is a ‘meh’ signing because the money and term aren’t too bad, but it’s also not a signing to get excited about.

12:31 PM: Bruce Garrioch reports that Matt Carkner gets $1.5 million/year for three seasons with the Islanders, and that the Senators offer to him was a single season at $750,000. That’s a no-brainer for the player.

12:15 PM: James Duthie on TSN making the point that free agents have been signing in Long Island a day after Justin Schultz chose the Oilers as his preferred destination. It’s a good point to make – not so much from the ‘franchise-defining’ angle, but as a counterargument to the idea that certain teams can’t sign players because they’re unattractive as destinations. Properly motivated teams may not be able to get specific players – for instance, Schultz didn’t consider a number of different teams – but they can always land somebody useful.

12:12 PM: Matt Carkner has officially signed a three-year contract with the New York Islanders, as per Aaron Ward. This is a big surprise after the Avalanche’s official feed tweeted that he had been signed by Colorado, and more than a little embarrassing for the Avs.

12:09 PM: Jiri Hudler, according to Red Wings reporter Ansar Khan, is talking to the Phoenix Coyotes. He’d be a nice fit for a team that doesn’t have much in the way of offensively capable centres.

12:01 PM: TSN reporting that Adam Burish has signed a four-year deal in San Jose. The term is surprisingly long, but he’s a solid depth player and depending on dollars this could be an excellent deal for the Sharks. Meanwhile, Konopka’s deal has been confirmed for less than $1.0 million, which is a bargain for the Wild.

12:00 PM: Andy Strickland is reporting that the New York Islanders have signed Brad Boyes to a one-year/$1.0 million contract. Boyes is coming off a terrible year in Buffalo where virtually everything went wrong, but has had 33- and 43-goal seasons since the lockout. That’s a nice flyer for the Islanders to take, particularly since they typically struggle to attract free agents.

11:50 AM: Further on Whitney. He’s a solid player and has been remarkably durable since the lockout – he’s missed just nine games over the last four seasons. Undoubtedly that factored into Dallas’ willingness to offer him a two-year deal.

11:45 AM: Aaron Ward tweets that Ray Whitney has signed a two-year deal in Dallas worth a total of $9.0 million – $4.0 million per season, plus $500,000 per season in bonuses. Whitney just had a great season, picking up 77 points, and is a great offensive talent, but that’s a ton of money for a guy who turned 40 a few months ago.

11:40 AM: After being bought out, Colby Armstrong tweets that he’s signed a one-year deal in Montreal (it’s for $1.0 million). Meanwhile, Guillaume Latendresse’ contract with Ottawa is worth $1.2 million. That’s not a lot of money for either player; I really like the Latendresse deal for the Senators, while the Armstrong deal is okay but less good.

11:35 AM: TSN reporting that Torrey Mitchell has signed in Minnesota. Also, Carkner’s agent has gone on the record saying that there is no deal in place with Colorado – there is an offer, but Carkner has yet to make a final decision.

11:30 AM: Renaud Lavoie reporting that Guillaume Latendresse is taking a physical in Ottawa, and that if he passes it he will sign with the Senators. Latendresse wanted to be closer to his son in Montreal and is a solid signing for the Senators, as long as the money isn’t unreasonable.

11:27 AM: Zenon Konopka has signed with the Minnesota Wild. He’s a tough guy and a perfect fit for fourth-line duty – he can kill penalties, take faceoffs, and is solid in his own end. That’s a good signing, as long as the dollars aren’t unreasonable.

11:14 AM: Interesting – Bob McKenzie is reporting that despite the fact that the Avalanche have announced the Carkner signing, Carkner’s agents are denying that a deal is done. Also reports that defenseman Mike Lundin has signed in Ottawa.

11:11 AM: The Carolina Hurricanes announce the signing of Joe Corvo to a one-year deal; James Mirtle says that it’s for $2 million. Aside from the fact that this is the eleventieth time that Corvo has signed in Carolina, that’s pretty good value for that kind of defenseman. On the other hand, the Hurricanes already have a bunch of good young defensemen so it’s fair to ask if Corvo takes away playing time. Even so, that’s probably a strong decision.

11:08 AM: As per James Mirtle, the Avlaanche have signed tough-as-nails defenseman Matt Carkner. Not really a high-end player, but not the kind of guy the Oilers want to see in the Northwest Division, either.

10:47 AM: Renaud Lavoie of RDS tweets that Yann Danis will make $775,000 in the NHL, $300,000 in the AHL. That’s significant money for a third-string goalie, but when the backup goalie is Nikolai Khabibulin it’s also a solid investment.

10:41 AM: TSN is reporting that David Moss has agreed to a two-year deal with the Phoenix Coyotes. This could be a really good signing, depending on his health – Moss is a 6’3″ forward who scored 17 goals in 58 games back in 2010-11 but only had two in 32 games last season. The Coyotes are always forced to sign bargain deals due to their financial situation, and Moss is a player who could surprise.

10:38 AM: As per multiple sources (the report originated with Brad May but has been confirmed by others), the Detroit Red wings have signed Jonas Gustavsson to a two-year deal worth $1.5 million per season. It’s a weak goalie market this summer, but that still seems like a lot of money for a player who has never really done much at the NHL level.

10:32 AM: Interestingly, the Philadelphia Flyers appear to have re-signed Michael Leighton. Leighton’s spent a lot of time lately in the minors, but with Sergei Bobrovsky gone and the free agent market week, the Flyers grabbed an in-house option. He’ll be dirt cheap, but of course this means that they have to rely on Ilya Bryzgalov once again.

10:27 AM: Darren Dreger tweets that the Winnipeg Jets are making a serious pitch for Zach Parise. That would be a shocking signing, if it happened.

10:01 AM: Tampa Bay signs Benoit Pouliot to a one-year, $1.8 million contract, as per multiple reliable sources on Twitter. Additionally, George Richards with the Miami Herald has confirmed that Scott Clemmensen is back in Florida.

9:58 AM: Ryan Rishaug tweeting that he believes Ales Hemsky is “heavily in play” on the trade market. My reaction is that whether this is good or bad news depends to a great deal on the return. Given the Oilers’ depth on the wing, I understand dealing Hemsky – and given what the free agent market looks like, I also understand the interest in the player. As long as they’re bringing a big piece back, then trading Hemsky could be a very solid decision. If, on the other hand, they’re just trading him for futures to make room, this won’t be a good decision.

9:50 AM: The Detroit Red Wings are going all out for both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. As per Devils beat reporter Rich Chere on Twitter, owner Mike Ilitch is meeting Suter whilE G.M. Ken Holland meets Parise.

9:43 AM: The Oilers have announced via their Twitter feed that AHL Goalie of the Year Yann Danis has agreed to a one-year contract. I imagine the dollars will be reasonable, and if so this is another excellent move for Edmonton. Danis is as good as third-string goalies get.

9:40 AM: Smyth’s new deal, by the way, is the equivalent of a $1.25 million contract back in 2005-06 – just 3.2% of the Oilers’ salary cap ceiling, meaning that on a cap-team he’ll be paid less than an average skater. That’s great value.

9:25 AM: Darren Dreger reports the Smyth deal is done. Two years, $2.25 million per. Excellent, excellent deal for Edmonton.

9:20 AM: Bob McKenzie reports that Ryan Smyth is close to re-signing with the Oilers.

9:15 AM: Not a major surprise, but Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford has announced via Twitter that Jordan Staal has signed a 10-year, $60 million extension. That’s the same contract he turned down in Pittsburgh.

8:45 AM: Rumour has it that the Panthers have re-signed or are close to re-signing Scott Clemmensen on a two-year deal with an average cap hit of $1.2 – $1.3 million. This has not been confirmed as of yet, but that’s the rumour. If so, the dollars make sense, but they have Jacob Markstrom in the system and it’s tough to see him in the AHL once again.

8:00 AM: Nick Kypreos is reporting on Twitter that Zach Parise is looking for a $12 million signing bonus in year one of his deal. The signing bonus demand ensures that Parise gets paid next year regardless of the NHL’s labour situation, and is a smart demand from a guy who can pretty much name his price. It will reduce the number of teams interested, though – and I wonder if this doesn’t open the door for a less desirable destination, a team that is willing to spend to make up for their lack of a winning track record. My guess is the Minnesota Wild – Michael Russo, their excellent beat reporter, has been hinting that they’re going to offer top dollar in an attempt to land Parise.

7:15 AM: Still on yesterday’s signings. I’m a big fan of Nashville Predators forward Paul Gaustad, a tremendous checking centre and defensive specialist, and I really do think he’s a difference-maker in his own end. As the Predators, though, I’d be leery committing $3.25 million/season for four years to a guy with pretty minimal offensive game – especially since the Predators top two centres (David Legwand, Mike Fisher) are also primarily defensive types. I don’t think the contract dollars are unreasonable – $3.25 million in a $70.2 million cap world is equivalent to $1.8 million in the $39-million cap NHL, so this is really the same sort of contract as the one the Oilers gave Ethan Moreau and Fernando Pisani back in 2006. I just don’t like the idea of spending that kind of coin on that kind of player for Nashville. Then again, it’s a weak free agent market, so I’m not sure how they’d upgrade otherwise. Maybe adding Gaustad allows them to trade one of their other centres for a more overtly offensive guy.

7:00 AM: Yesterday was a pretty good – well, really good – day for Oilers fans, as the team landed prized free agent defenseman Justin Schultz. We’ve been talking about Schultz for weeks now, and he’s going to instantly help the blue line. His defensive game is likely to be a little raw at the professional level, but it’s not unreasonable to expect decent first-year offensive production. More on Schultz here:

Incidentally, I’m in agreement with McKenzie on the last point. Schultz chose not to sign in Anaheim, as was his right – though I think it’s understandable that Ducks fans are choked about it. The circus that surrounded his eventual signing in Edmonton, the pitches made by various NHL teams and the like – that was the creation of the media and the clubs themselves, not the player.

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